Nick Browne, a tall, watchful left-hander with the ability to grow into an innings, came to prominence in 2015 when he was one of the few successes in an Essex season that ultimately led to the removal of Paul Grayson as coach. He made six first-class centuries as he added his name to the long list of contenders urged by the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, to make an unanswerable claim to an England place in county cricket. He finished the season on a high - a career-best 151 not out against Leicestershire (albeit Division Two's bottom club). His 1,157 first-class runs represented the first time an Essex batsman had passed 1,000 since Ravi Bopara in 2008.

Browne's form stretched into the close season as he became the first English cricketer to score a double century in Sydney First Grade - his 206 for Mosman against Sydney University breaking the previous best of 194 by former England captain Mike Gatting for Balmain against Central Cumberland, some 36 years earlier.

His form was patchier in 2016, although he did make 1,000 runs at a healthy average of 47, boosted by a career-best 255 against Derbyshire, one of two doubles he made against them that promotion season. Indeed, double centuries became something of a speciality - he made it three doubles in a row the following summer, this time against Middlesex at Chelmsford, joining Alastair Cook in an Essex record opening stand of 373. Essex were by now back in Division One of the Championship and the top-order resilience of Cook and Browne helped them settle into a season in which they went on to win the title.

Browne had made his first-team debut in 2013, playing in three Championship matches. The following season, he took his chance at opener and in the process made history, becoming the first Essex player to score two unbeaten hundreds in a Championship match, with Derbyshire the victims yet again, this time at Chesterfield. Those were his first two tons - on only his seventh senior appearance.
ESPNcricinfo staff

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